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LOT 0664
Roman Bronze Standing Horse Statuette
1ST-2ND CENTURY A.D.
2 3/8 in. (80 grams, 60 mm).
Modelled in the round as a prancing horse standing on a rectangular plinth base; voluminous mane swept to one side and head turned to the left.
ProvenanceAcquired in the mid 1980s-1990s.
Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent.
Private collection, since the late 1990s.
Exhibited at the Harwich Museum, Harwich, Essex, UK, 12th March-9th June 2025; accompanied by a copy of a photograph of the artefacts on display.
LiteratureCf. Rolland, H., Bronzes Antiques de Haute Provence, Paris, 1965, item 246.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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Roman Bronze Phallic Dagger Quillon or Pendant
1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £65
With a rectangular plaque with central void, phallus to one short edge and a stylised fist to the other. 25.5 grams, 55 mm
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.
In the Roman world the phallus was symbol of luck or fertility, and it as well was believed to have apotropaic functions. Pendants, amulets and small objects were worn by all sorts of people as symbols of protection, especially from young children according to Varro and Pliny the Elder. The phallus is commonly found on reliefs, frescoes and lamps from the Graeco-Roman world. This object can have been the quillon of a small dagger, but also hung as a charm from a tintinnabulum, a wind chime adorned with bells and intended to ward off evil. -
Roman and Other Glass Bead Necklace String
1st-4th century A.D. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £65
Composed of graduated oblate and annular beads with other types, the central feature a large oblate bead; restrung. 6.88 grams, 45 cm
From London, UK, gallery collection, 1990s. -
Roman Gold Ring with 'Eye' Gemstone with Engraved Bee
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Sardonyx cabochon with incuse bee to centre; set in a cell with flanking gold rosettes; hoop formed with three beaded wire bands and granule detailing; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 4.52 grams, 22.29 mm overall, 19.07 mm internal diameter (approximate size British Q 1/2, USA 8 1/4, Europe 18.12, Japan 17)
Private collection, Europe. Acquired on the English art market.
